To have been really put off Parkrun by this

[rookiemere]

I'll start by saying I love parkrun. I've done over 130 of them and it's a real treat to discover a new one when we're away on holiday.

Everyone there is lovely and welcoming and it's such a great way to start Saturdays with a 5km run.

I am also older, fat and slow, but this is fine as I'm not there to win it.

So last Saturday headed to one of my usual parkruns with a friend. There was a traffic incident so many people didn't make it. This meant that rather than being in the back 10 or so I ended up being the last person bar the tail runner. Again all fine and someone has to be there.

However for the last km or so as I went past people who were dispersing made a big point of clapping loudly and shouting on encouragement. Obviously meant to be supportive, but I've run so many of the damn things and I just like to be invisible rather than the obviously last, slow ploddy person who people want to help.

I'm actually really nervous about going again, it upset me so much. I could go to one with more runners and then I should be less likely to be right at the back, but its a further drive and the whole thing has knocked my confidence and I don't know what to do.

It's not about "rights". I have the right to light a bonfire in my garden every morning if I wanted to, but I'd be a bit of a prick if I did.

I am saying that a considerate person probably wouldn't want to spoil everyone else's enjoyment of the park on a regular weekly basis. I think it's interesting how so many of you just don't give a fuck if that's the case. That's the Daily Mail attitude I first identified.

organising hundreds of people together at the same [peak] time every week

It is not peak time. The park gets busier later. You may be aware that during covid parkrun stopped for about 15 months. I occasionally used to go running at the same park around 9am on a Saturday and there was barely anyone there.

Anyway most parks are capable of accommodating everyone, or there is more than one park, so people can use a different one if 9am (9.30 in Scotland/Ireland) on a Saturday is the only time they can go out.

Parks accommodate plenty of other activities too like football matches and outdoor fitness classes. Or are they ok because they are paying (twice - council tax and fee) to use the park?

a considerate person probably wouldn't want to spoil everyone else's enjoyment of the park on a regular weekly basis

I take the view that it's about 5 people for one hour (30 minutes) a week. If you don't like it, go at a different time or go to a different park. It's not hard to avoid a half hour slot once a week.

And it is the same as swimming pools where the clubs and lessons hog the pool for much of the week! But again, they pay for it (twice, in council tax and fees).

And I see you completely ignored my comment about dog walkers taking over for the rest of the week, and parkrun being a safe space for so many people to run without being heckled. That to me is much more important than someone deciding that they absolutely must use a particular (area of a) park at one veryb short specific time in the week.

This thead just keeps on running.

Why would it be considerate if them to run at a different time, rather than it being considerate of you to move your run?

As others have said, your entitlement is the issue here, not anyone else’s, and your insults paint a pretty good picture of the sort of person that you are.

I would say that most events impact on other people - the football season has made it difficult for me to get to parts of my city on particular days. I don't like dogs and their presence impacts on my enjoyment of walking or running locally. I went to Cardiff last weekend and got caught up in the wrestling traffic coming home.

Should all of these things be stopped because they impinge on my life and enjoyment? Or should I just accept that unless I choose to live off grid, other humans and their activities will impact on my life. As my activities may impact on theirs.

MasterBeth you claim to be speaking for 'everyone else' but really you're not getting a lot of back up here are you? There hasn't been a huge influx of posters agreeing about how awful and inconvenient Park run is. So while you claim the park runners are selfish daily mail readers, what you want is a your own selfish desires put before the needs of a community? Which kind of makes you the daily mail reader doesn't it?

5 people! If it was a reasonable number, it wouldn't be a problem. Running groups of ten or 20 people aren't a problem. My local Parkrun can have 400-500 runners. The disruption it causes is over a much longer period than half an hour.

The fact that inconsiderate dog walkers make your park inhospitable isn't an argument for Parkrunners to do the same, it's an argument for dog walkers to be more considerate.

Football matches take place on designated football pitches and involve 22 people. Parkrun's 400 runners take over the public footpaths. It's all very well saying that people with megaphones tell them to give priority to other park users, but a crowd of 400 people can't really do that.

They are year 9. All can swim by the look of it

It's hardly surprising that a thread on Mumsnet about Parkrun is populated by people on Mumsnet who like Parkrunning! 😁I'm not sure that's a representative sample of "the community"!

(And I don't claim to be speaking for everyone else, I'm asking you to consider everyone else. I'm only speaking for me. I don't claim it's a majority opinion. But that's what the tyranny of the majority looks like - as long as most people agree, then fuck those who don't.)

The church “takes over” the local park every Thursday morning for a “friendly faces” community get together. There’s loads of them! (Which makes me so happy to see). Lots of people alone. Lots walking dogs. They stroll in a very large and staggered group.

@MasterBeth

Cats bum face at the thought?

Children have to use a swimming pool in order to swim. (Jesus, how difficult is that to understand..?)

I'd be most interested to see pictures of this mythical parkrun which ropes off a large chunk of a park for its event. I've been to maybe half a dozen different parkruns and have never seen this, but perhaps I've been missing out.

Read The title.

Clearly someone complaint about park run

Surely those that agree with the Op would be drawn to it like moths to a flame?!

Presumably, they don't gather in their hundreds, blocking the way for others, rope off areas of the park for their own use, carry megaphones or shout instructions across the park? Then they're grand.

But it is a public one. For everyone. So stopping “everyone” using a public facility.

the pupils could go in their own time with their families. In year 9 - no requirement to have swim lessons by the gov and all can swim

Most people don't know what Parkrun is, I would guess, and certainly don't have an opinion on it, or can be arsed typing one out on Mumsnet.

Actually it's a thread about being PUT OFF parkrun, so surely a whistle call to people who dislike it? I mean, it brought you in didn't it?

Everyone else IS considered - being told to be considerate of other park users is part of the briefing at the start. Park runs are generally set up so that runners start off in a wide area when they're all clumped together and then spread out along the narrower parts. This obviously minimises inconvenience to other park users.

Is it just park run you dislike or any event that might impact on or inconvenience others? I get that hell can be other people but I think a world where nobody gets to do any event that might impact on anyone else would be worse.

yes! The vicar has a mic, they welcome newcomers and he talks about the last week. Almost a mini sermon.

Exactly… like moths to a flame I said.

indeed @MasterBeth - what drew you to the thread?!

Then they should fuck off back to church.

"Large chunk" is your words, not mine.

Swiimming lesson do prevent others using the pool. Its a big complaint at our pool that people cant use it because of lessons

😂

and running a short distance once a week

See OP, and this is how easy it is to inadvertently discourage people. To me a 5k is an enormous distance that requires great effort and which I feel immensely proud of completing ( well did, am too unfit to do it now and trying to build up again after injury). Feel somewhat put down to hear it describes as a 'short distance'.

You know those people meant no harm. I've had it too on non-park run runs. Random nice retired ladies 'encouragingly' saying ' Go on, you can do it!' as I red face my way past them. In fact I was last in my 'team' in an even shorter race recently and they (who had all finished and were walking their way back) gave me a big cheer and ' c'mon Flowership!' as I went, red faced and puffy, past. I took it in the spirit intended and threw them a wave!